Diagnoses

AS I GREW into adolescence, i began to think that i might be manic depressive, or what they perhaps call bi polar, or something even newer, now. I thought this because it seemed to fit. my father treated for it, millions of people have it, and its hereditary.

Then, just a few years ago, in no uncertain terms, during a casual conversation with a psychiatric therapist, i was told that i am indeed not bi polar. I merely  have mood swings, like anyone else.

You've never seen real bi polar, i was told. YOU do not know real bi polar. I do, i was told, because i have seen it every day for fifty years. Real bi polar people are nothing like you, i was told. They are the real deal. well, I became convinced.

Whereas in the fairly near term we are almost certain to find definite ways to prevent and treat cancer, and many other diseases, using nano technology, computer imaging, and other ultra modern methods. No such luck seems lurking on the horizon for various mental illnesses, most notably depression. Twenty years ago we got all excited about prozac...

... and we continued to stay excited through all its various improved versions, and all the other new and improved anti depressants to have hit the market since. and the sad fact is, none of them works all that well, or as well as we want them to, need them to.

Depression is caused by a generalized feeling of being unable to help a bad situation, of ultimate powerlessness. Much of this comes from environmental events which cannot be prevented. Plug a leak in your depression here, and another pops up somewhere else.

The isolation alienated culture, the competition and consequences, and external petty tyrannies which researchers think may contribute to depression, seem destined to remain with us, and tinkering around with the electro-chemical processes within the human brain seems a tad....well, tricky.